Nobody else had Mitchell Melton anywhere near the 24th pick. The Cowboys did, by 362 spots, and that gap is the whole story. The math is unkind, and the D+ follows.

Moore at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. It is not that Lucas is a bad player; it is that the Cowboys had louder needs to answer first. They punted on cornerback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.

It is a steep hill from here, and the grade knows it.